French endurance racer Pierre Ragues will be hoping to get his 2012 season off to a competitive start as he spearheads a second LMP2 car for Signatech-Nissan at next weekend’s Spa 6 Hours. 

Pierre, who helped the Signature squad to become vice champions in LMP1 in the 2010 Le Mans Series, rejoins the team in the new World Endurance Championship, beginning with Spa, a circuit that is well known to both team and driver.

The 6.973km long Spa-Francorchamps circuit is one of the most demanding and technically complex configurations in the world with a range of high and low speed sections from the tight loop of La Source to the revered Raidillon-Eau Rouge section.  Pierre’s knowledge of the Signatech-Nissan team structure and his previous racing experience at the Spa track will put him in a good position for this year’s event.

Spa is the first of just three European races on the new 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship alongside the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 6 Hours of Silverstone, all of which Pierre will contest with Signatech-Nissan and team-mates Nelson Panciatici and Roman Rusinov. Spa will therefore prove a valuable testing ground for Pierre to understand the Dunlop-shod Oreca 03 chassis and Nissan engine which he experienced for the first time in a big shakedown with the team at Lurcy-Levis in wet conditions on Thursday.

Pierre Ragues commented: “I cannot wait to get to Spa; it is a track I really enjoy but most importantly it will be my first race in the new World Endurance Championship. I have been hungry to get back behind the wheel of a competitive car and I am very appreciative of the opportunity that Signatech-Nissan is giving me. I will use my years of experience in endurance racing, from LMP1 and LMP2, to help the team as much as I can. We had a good day at Lurcy-Levis, even in the wet conditions, where I got a first impression of the potential of the Oreca 03, Nissan engine and Dunlop tyres, and to start working with my new team-mates Nelson and Roman. It certainly seems like a competitive package but I look forward to more time behind the wheel of the car in practice next week. There will be 16 cars in LMP2 for Spa, so it will be a competitive field, but we have to remain confident in all our combine capabilities and our ability to score points. Finally, I’d also like to thank Group Auto Union, my personal partners, for their continued support.”